Gus tries out the JD mower donated to the AASV Foundation
Auction by PIC. Gus is a service dog owned by Gwyn Scheidt, wife of
Dr Alan Scheidt. The RTV in the background was donated by the Farm
Credit Services of America.

Photo courtesy of Tracy Ann Raef

Whether you donated the tie off your neck or purchased the
lawnmower or RTV, donors and bidders were the reason for this
year’s successful auction. Total sales from the live and
silent auctions were $68,825, an increase of $1300 over last
year’s tally.

Without a doubt, the auction has been the major fundraiser for
the foundation. It’s also been a fun-filled social event for
attendees at the annual meeting. This year’s live auction was
no different, as Max Rodibaugh and John Waddell tried to entice the
crowd to pay big bucks for their worn pig ties. But it was Gus, the
K-9 service dog, who rallied the largest bid for an item –
$10,000 from Dr Wayne Freese for the John Deere Z910A lawnmower
tractor. Good dog! And Dr Ruth Loula made the second-largest
purchase of the evening – $9450 for the Kubota RTV500!

The silent auction, which concluded during the Monday night
reception, raised $12,275. Unique items such as an iron pig bench,
a pig weather vane, and a chainsaw-carved pig were on display and
the bidding was strong. Yet one of the most sought-after items was
the antique veterinary book, Swine Practice, by A. T.
Kinsley, written in 1921. Dr Scanlon Daniels was the successful
bidder!

Dr Warren Wilson, chair of the AASV Foundation, is already
planning for next year’s auction, and Dr Angela Baysinger, an
avid gun collector, is looking forward to the 2011 auction on the
chance she might find an item for her collection.

We’ve come a long way, baby!

The AASV Foundation held its first auction in 1999, a silent
auction that netted $2830. From those humble beginnings, the
auctions have grown in number of items donated and dollars raised.
Since 1999, the auctions have raised $290,411! The past three
auctions have been the most successful, raising $68,000 to $70,000
each. Wow! Is a $100,000 auction in the future? Let’s do
it!

The AASV Foundation is grateful to everyone who participated in
the 2010 live and silent fundraising auctions. Each bid makes a
difference! We are pleased to recognize and thank the following
successful bidders who purchased one or more items at the
auction:

Dr Eric Neumann received the Alex Hogg Scholarship at the AASV
annual meeting

Neumann receives AASV Foundation Hogg Scholarship

Dr Eric Neumann was named the 2010 recipient of the American
Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation Hogg Scholarship. The
scholarship was presented during the association’s annual
meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.

Established in 2008, the scholarship is named for Dr Alex Hogg,
who was a leader in swine medicine and pursued a master’s
degree in veterinary pathology after 20 years in a mixed-animal
practice. The scholarship, in the amount of $10,000, is awarded
annually to an AASV member who has been accepted into a qualified
graduate program to further his or her education after years as a
swine practitioner.

“Dr Neumann is very deserving of the Hogg
Scholarship,” said Dr Tom Burkgren. “Like Dr Hogg, Dr
Neumann was a practitioner who embraced lifelong learning, choosing
to work in various segments of the pork industry prior to returning
to graduate school. Once he has completed his PhD, his past
experiences and understanding of the industry will allow him to
continue being an excellent resource for pork producers and
veterinarians.”

Dr Neumann is a senior lecturer in pig medicine and epidemiology
at the EpiCentre at Massey University in New Zealand, where he is
pursuing a PhD. His research interests involve the development of
techniques for disease surveillance that optimize disease detection
at a lower cost. Dr Neumann also serves as the project manager for
the Masters of Veterinary Medicine/Masters of Public Health in
Biosecurity at the university.

Previously, Dr Neumann was Director of Swine Health and
Information at the National Pork Board in Des Moines, Iowa, where
he interacted with animal-health officials, practitioners, and
university researchers. From 1995 to 2003, he was the manager of
veterinary services for Heartland Pork Enterprises, a commercial
pig-production system.

Active in the AASV since 1989, Dr Neumann is a member of the
Foreign Animal Disease Committee and the Swine Health Committee. He
has also served on the Nutrition Committee and the Porcine
Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Subcommittee.

He is the author of numerous scientific papers, books, and
chapters on disease control and epidemiology. Dr Neumann is also a
frequent guest speaker at veterinary and producer meetings.

He is a member of the American Association of Laboratory
Diagnosticians and the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists,
and a consultant to AusAID/AusReady, an international
disease-response organization.

Dr Neumann received his DVM degree (1992) and MS (1995) in Swine Clinical Medicine from the University of Illinois. He
plans to complete his PhD in 2011.

Dr Neumann and his wife, Jan, live in Palmerston North, New
Zealand, with their three children.